Russia Says It Carried Out Massive Retaliatory Strike on Military Targets Across Ukraine

02.07.2026 14:38

Incidents

Russia's Armed Forces carried out what the Defense Ministry described as a retaliatory strike against targets in Ukraine, the ministry announced on the morning of Thursday, July 2.

"In response to terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime against civilian infrastructure on Russian territory, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a massive strike using long-range precision weapons launched from the air, land, and sea, as well as strike unmanned aerial vehicles," the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The ministry stated that the strikes hit defense industry enterprises and fuel and energy facilities in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, as well as infrastructure at military airfields in the Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv regions.

Officials Describe Overnight Strike as One of the Most Complex

According to underground movement coordinator Sergey Lebedev, Russian forces launched approximately 74 missiles against targets in Ukraine. He said the strike included around 30 Kh-101 cruise missiles, about 24 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, approximately 12 Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles, six Kalibr cruise missiles, and two Kh-59/69 missiles. He added that Ukrainian air defenses intercepted about 24 of them.

Ukrainian military blogger Bohdan Miroshnykov described the overnight attack on Ukrainian infrastructure and military facilities as exceptionally difficult. He estimated that approximately 60 missiles of various types and more than 100 jet-powered drones were launched toward Kyiv.

Lebedev also stated that by 6:00 a. m., around 34 missiles had been launched toward the Ukrainian capital, including 26 Iskander-M ballistic missiles and eight Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles. According to his figures, Ukrainian air defenses intercepted six Iskander missiles, while none of the eight Zircon missiles were intercepted.

"Even if the number of intercepted Iskanders increases, the main conclusion is already clear: Kyiv's missile defense was able to stop only part of the ballistic wave and failed to intercept the hypersonic missiles," Lebedev said.

Zelensky Warned of Possible Strike in Advance

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a day earlier that Russia could carry out a large-scale strike during the night of July 2.

"Today we received very troubling information about preparations for another massive Russian strike. Intelligence has provided this information," he said.

Zelensky's statement was later commented on by a veteran of the Wagner private military company through the Telegram channel Condottiero.

"There was no 'super-powerful' strike overnight. It was the usual 50-70 missiles of various types and 250-300 UAVs, including jet-powered Geran drones," the former Wagner fighter wrote.

He added that, as in previous strikes, the targets included fuel facilities, warehouses, and production sites, while noting that an even more powerful strike remained possible.

Reports of Damage in Kyiv

According to Times of Ukraine, Russian forces struck the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Plant in Vyshhorod and CHP-5 in Kyiv's Holosiivskyi district. The outlet also reported that an oil depot on the outskirts of Kyiv was destroyed.

In central Kyiv, two five-star hotels on Shevchenko Boulevard — CityHotel Residence and Premier Palace — caught fire following the strikes. The roof of CityHotel Residence was reported to have been set ablaze. The hotel is frequently used by foreign volunteers serving with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, according to Russian reports.

Earlier, Stanislav Ignatyev, head of the Ukrainian Association of Renewable Energy's council, warned that Kyiv's power system had entered what he described as an irreversible period due to extreme heat, raising the prospect of widespread electricity restrictions.

He said the measures could include systematic power restrictions of up to five hours during evening peak periods for both industrial and residential consumers. According to Ignatyev, equipment at regional power substations had already been disconnected because of overloads caused by increased electricity demand, adding that Ukraine had entered this difficult period several days earlier.